Duck decoy carrier



' Aug. 18,1959 R1, Aug 2,899,997

DUCK DECOY CARRIER v Filed Dec. 25, 1957 RAYMOND d RAUE/V BY ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,899,997 DUCK DECOY CARRIER RaymondJ. Rauen', Detroit, Mich. Application December 23, 1957, Serial No. 704,596

2 Claims. (Cl. 150-1 I This invention relates to devices for carrying duck decoys, and particularly to such devices as are designed to transport and retain decoys in individual compartments. a

Previous practice in duck hunting has been to transport decoys in sacks, boxes, and other containers in which such decoys are placed loosely together, each with its anchor line wrapped around its head or body. Almost inevitably this results in jostling and bumping together of the decoys, frequently resulting in loosening and entanglement of the anchor lines, and with a further consequent marring and breaking of the decoys.

Particularly is this latter fault true with wooden decoys, which are frequently formed with head and body as separate units which are joined together, as with dowels and glue. Such heads, when knocked or jarred repeatedly, tend to become loosened and detached. The present invention is designed to carry a plurality of decoys with their respective heads and anchors so disposed as to avert knocking together of the heads and bodies and to substantially avoid blows from other objects while the device is being carried.

An object of the invention is to provide a plurality of pockets similarly secured in a row on an elongated panel or panels of heavy cloth or the like.

Another object is to provide a strap to restrain such decoys from accidental ejection from the pockets, and from detrimental collision of their heads.

A further object is to so oifset a row of pockets on one side of said panel or panels relative to a row of pockets on the other side, that the heads of the decoys extend over the upper edge thereof in spaced relation to each other.

A further object is to provide stiffening means to maintain the panel or panels extended to their full length.

A further object is to provide a rod as such stifiening means and to encase such rod in a hem formed along the upper edge of said panels in such a manner as to provide a double thickness of said cloth at each end of the rod.

These and various other objects are attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view thereof, illustrating a final step in manufacturing the invention.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on a larger scale on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, further illustrating manufacturing technique and construction.

Fig. 5 is an end view on a larger scale illustrating decoys as retained in the pockets by the retaining strap.

In these views, the reference characters 1 and 2 designate elongated panels of similar dimensions. Such panels are preferably of flexible material such as plastics, cloth or the like, and are permanently interconnected, as by stitching, at their margins. Each panel bears a row of upwardly opening decoy-receiving pockets 3. A stiffenin the pockets 3 (Fig. 5).

2,899,997 Patented Aug. 18, 1959 2 ing rod 4 is received and retained in a hem 5 (Figs. 3 and 4) extending along the upper edge of the joined panels. Secured within, and near the respective ends of, said hem, are an end of a short member 6 and of a long member 7 of an adjustable strap to retain decoys The longer of such members passes through a .loop 8, also having its ends retained within the hem 5, and engages, the short member by any conventional buckle 9. Such loop prevents displacement of the strap. Adjustability of said long member 7 is afforded by a conventional retainer 10. Further secured within said hem, and appropriately disposed longitudinally thereof for balance, are the ends of a carrying strap 11.

In manufacture of the device, it is preferred to first apply the pockets} tothe panels 1 and 2. Such pockets could, of course, be individually formed and applied. However, manufacture is considerably expedited by forming each row of pockets from a single strip of material joined, as by sewing, to a panel at intervals so predetermined as to result in uniformly proportioned, upwardly opening pockets of the desired capacity. The bottoms of such pockets are ,closed as by stitching along the bottom margins of the pocket-forming strip and the panel.

The row of pockets on panel 1 is laterally offset relative to that on panel 2 by approximately half the width of a pocket, with a resultant odd number (five) of pockets on the latter, and an even number (four) on the former. Obviously, more or fewer pockets may be employed than shown in the drawing. From the aforesaid offsetting of the rows of pockets benefits are derived as hereinafter explained.

The panels are marginally laligned, one against the other, with the pockets between them, and their bottoms and end margins are interconnected by sewing, thus forming an elongated pouch or envelope. This envelope is then inverted to dispose the pockets exteriorly thereof. Marginal portions (1a, 2a) of predetermined width now remain extending above the tops of the pockets 3 along the unsewn upper edges of the panels 1 and 2. These marginal portions are doubled equally downwardly between the panels to an extent that they may be secured in such position by stitching immediately above the pockets and longitudinally of said panels, to form a hem 5, which at this stage of manufacture is open only along its upper edge to receive a stiffening rod 4 (Figs. 3-and 4).

The ends of the members 6, 7, 8, and 11, are then disposed within the hem as illustrated with the handle-strap 11 in Fig. 4, and the open upper edge of the hem is closed by stitching along its length in close proximity to said stiffening red.

It is preferred to proceed with the final step by advancing the seam to secure each of said members as they are individually and consecutively positioned for sewing.

The above described invention achieves marked advantages over prior decoy carrying practices.

Not the least of these advantages derives from being able to insert the bodies of decoys A together with their respective anchors B and anchor lines C into the individual pockets. This, of course, reduces to a minimum, any chance of the anchor lines becoming loose and entangled. Further advantages ensue from offsetting the rows of pockets on the panels 1 and 2 as described above. Such arrangement permits disposing the decoys A with their heads and necks projecting alternately from pockets on each side of the construction,.above the hem 5 at the longitudinal center thereof. This in turn aifords the use of a single restraining element (6, 7) to engage the heads or necks of said decoys and securely hold them in the pockets 3. The spacing of the heads and the use of said straps 6, 7, contributes to averting mutual collision of the heads; the central positioning of such heads largely avoids severe blows from other objects while the construction is being carried.

The method of construction assures a stoutly assembled tconstruction free of vexteriorlyprotruding raw edges of the material used, andthe'technique employed in forming'thehemS affords afurther-benefit. By doubling'the previously sewn'ends of said panels inwardly preparatory to'forming the'hem, the seamtjoining said'ends is necessarily doubled also, thus. increasing the thickness of cloth at each end of the rod 4, and increasing the shock absorbing qualities of the cloth at such ends. This naturally decreases the possibility of wearing ,and breaking of said cloth due to any sharp blows'said ends of ,the rod 4 might receive. I p

It 'is .apparent, of course, that any suitable material 'suchas cloth or'flexible plastic sheeting may be used in 1. A duck.-decoy.carrying device, comprising a pair of i marginally interconnected, elongated panels of flexible -material, having an upper and a'lower longitudinal edge,

stiffening meanslenclosed'between said panels a plurality .of decoy-receiving pockets permanently joined to said panels, and opening upwardly'immediately below said upper edge, an elongated decoy retaining strap extending from end toend of the .device above said upper edge,

said pockets being formed in two rows respectively joined to the respective panels, said rows being offset relative-to each other longitudinally of said panels to afford disposal of an upwardly and laterally protruding portion of a decoy in each pocket of each panel over said upper edge in adjacent, alternate relationship to like portions of decoys in the pockets of the other panel, whereby said retaining strap may effectaa -t1ecoy-retaining contact with and above allot such portions.

2. A duck-decoy carrier as set "forth in claim 1, said strap having onexend securedat-an.end ,p0rtion of the upper edge, and having its other end adapted for adjustable engagement at the other end portion of *said upper edge, suchengagement ;be ing;releasable to afiord insertion in and removal from the pockets of duck-decoys.

References Cited in the file of this patent 'UNITED STATES'IBATENTS 758,258 .Kin w ll --'--.-H---- IApr- V 6, 2190 1,429,608 May Sept. 19, ,1922 1,513,514 London Oct. ,;28, 1924 1,578,778 Ihornhill Mar. 30, 1926 1,656,339 Runyan Jan. ,-,17, 1928 1,909,942 'Fingerrrivan May 2-3, 1933 2,151,465 .Dalebrook Mar. 21, 1939 2,359,372 Leader Oct. -3, 1944 2,405,517 1946 

